Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-02-12
LETTER FROM 8. w. DlsHL, ESQ.
Ostrich Fsrmin. in southern CaIifor

| To the Editor OF the Republic:
| Your readers know all about the climate
of Southern Californs-at least all that
can be learned about it from perusing news
paper articles. Perhaps no one thing has been
more written about and certainly few things
have been more lied about-eXcepting, of
course. the candidate for of'ice-than this
climate. In describing it, some persons
have depicted il as too heavy. while others
have made it out too HadeS-iike. So il has
been misrepresented in both directions.
Suffice II TO say that il now tthe latter part
of January is and all winter has been so
mild and pleasant. that one could sit very
comfortably in room with the doors and
windows open and no fire. during the day
In the evening a little fire is desirable
Flowers are blooming and everything wears
a vernal look. Ii | could send you spool
box full of the climate it would give you
| the ''spring fever" and bankrupt me-for
they sell the climate pretty nigh out
here.
But while yOnr readers may be familiar
with the climate. perhaps they have not
read about ostrich farming in this vicinity
7. I. Barnum tried the experiment of sub
Stituting the elephant for the horse and
mule on the farm. But he found that it
would not work and that he had ''an ele-
phant on his hands, So he abandoned
the project. Ii remained for a citizen of
Los Angeles county. DIR. Sketchley, to in
troduce the ostrich in place of the ordinary
farm poultry. The doctor had had pruc,i-
cal experience in ostrich farming in South
Africa. Having carefully studied the sub
ject as to climate, etc, he ca Q
TO the conclusion that the ostrich would
thrive in southern California. After a
great outlay of money and labor, he brought
a cargo of the birds from Africa and put
them on a ranch near Anahem. about
twenty-five miles Southeastof Los Angeles
The feasibility of farming" the ostrich in
this country was demonstrated Since
then farm has been established in San
Diego county and another in this county.
on the Los Felis ranch, about eight miles
north of the city. Ii is of the last named
that this article speaks. \ dummy road is
projected from Los Angeles 10 the farm.
and is partly built but not yet running.
An admittance fee of fifty centSiS charged
at the gate, and, having paid this. one is at
liberty TO look at the oStriches to his hearts
content. Some may think that it is cheaper
to go to the circus. where a view of the os-
trich is throw in, free. We refuse to argue
the matter here.
There are on the farm now thirty-four
ostriches s-thirty-one adults and three in
fants. There We're four young ones a short
time ago. but an inquiSitiye visitor. in de
termining the composition of the bird. ran
his umbrella through il. Loss. 5000 No
insurance. Tie young Ostriches are Matched
by incubators. 1t requires six weeks
tor incubation, and the number of
birds ha'ched is small in proportion
T. the number of eggs ''set." The
Ill grown ostrches are kept in ''corral>"
about l30 feet square, surrounded by a
common board fence about five feet high. |
In each corral is male and female The |
ostrich is the elephant among birds. He !
stands about six feet high in his stocking |
feet. If you add to this the length of his /
neck, he would be about ten feet tall. One /
wonders why he does not get out of his |
rather low inclosure. The body of the te-
male is covered with gray feathers. the
wings and tail being white. The male diff
fers only in being little larger and in that
his body is covered with very dark plu-
mage. The plumeS and most of the
feathers of commerce are taken from the
wings ana tall. anu some from the breast OF
the bird. The finest are from the male
A crop is plucked once in seven
months, each bird yielding about twenty
i've feathers. worth from 500 to sl50. tat
east 50 were told 1t is a matter of some
liffculty to pick the feathers from the os-
rich; tor he is a kicker. He strikes for |
ward and downward and leaves death and :
in his track, more especially
eafh On the larger fne ia a honf-likp |
law, which he knows how TO use. This 8
t is. that enables him to rip open with one
low the body of man or dog. Hence !